Rubber cushioning unit for shock absorbers



May 22, 1951 e. E. DATH RUBBER CUSHIONING UNIT FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS Filed Dec. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w 4 5 w s m m fl 1 w 7% a m %//A// V/////v/// //m/ 2 gg g k Inven/ov Gear 12 15'. 17 1 55 32H May 22, 1951 a. E. DATH RUBBER cusuxonmc UNIT FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS "2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1948 lnwre 19567:

Patented May 22, 1951 RUBBER CUSHIONING UNIT FOR SHOCK ABSORBERS George E. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assignor to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 8, 1948, Serial No. 64,125

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in means for cushioning shocks, and more particularly to cushioning units composed of rubber pads alternated with metal spacing plates.

One object of the invention i to provide a cushioning unit comprising a plurality of rubber pads or mats, alternated with metal spacing plates, wherein the pads or mats are provided with edge flanges overhanging the plates to hold the pads and plates in aligned assembled relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rubber cushioning unit, as set forth in the preceding paragraph, wherein the edge flanges of the pads overhang and extend beyond the metal plates in telescoped relation with respect to the next adjacent pads to hold the pads and plates of the unit in longitudinally aligned nested relation.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view through the underframe structure and the associated draft gear at one end of a railway car, illustrating my improved cushioning units in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a plan View, on an enlarged scale, of one of the rubber pads or mats and the associated spacing plate of one of the cushioning units shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 2, said view illustrating in dotted lines the next adjacent plate and rubber pad or mat of the unit. Figure 4 is a broken view, on an enlarged scale, similar to Figure of the rear end portion of the front casing, front intermediate follower and shock absorbin unit of the draft gear shown in Figure 1, illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 is an elevational view of the rubber pad and associated spacing plate at the right hand end of the cushioning unit illustrated in Figure 4, looking from right to left in said figure.

In said drawings, referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, lll-lll indicate the longitudinally extending center or draft sills of a railway car underframe structure provided on their inner sides with the usual front and rear stop lugs ll-ll and l2--I2. The rear portion of the usual coupler shank is indicated by [3 to which is operatively connected a yoke M of well-known construction. Within the yoke I4 is shown a wellknown type of tandem draft gear embodyin my improved rubber shock absorbing units. The draft gear illustrated comprises a front main follower l5, front and rear tubular casings l6 and I1, open at their inner ends and closed at their outer ends, front and rear intermediate followers [8 and i9 slidable in the front and rear casings, respectively, the front casing bearing on the main follower 5 and having rearwardly extending arms 29 engaging the rear intermediate follower Hi to force the rearwardly in unison with the front casing, and the rear casing bearing on the inner side of the vertical rear end member of the yoke I l and cooperating with the rear stop lugs l2-l 2 and having forwardly extending arms 2| engaging the front intermediate follower l8 to force the same forwardly in unison with the rear casing. As is well known, in the operation of the type of tandem draft gear illustrated, the front casing it and the front intermediate follower 18 are moved relatively toward each other and the rear casing ii and the rear intermediate follower operate in a similar manner, thus compressing the shock absorbing units which are contained in the front andrear casings.

In carrying out my invention as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, a rubber cushioning unit of my improved design is employed within each of the casings l6 and H, the front unit being interposed between the closed end of the casing l6 and the front intermediate follower l8 and the rear unit being interposed between the closed end of the rear casing H and the rear intermediate follower i9.

Each of my improved cushioning units comprises a series of rubber pads or mats A-A, a series of metal spacing plates B--B alternated with the pads or mats, and an additional, relatively heavy spacing plate 0 interposed between the corresponding intermediate follower of the draft rigging and the adjacent rubber pad or mat A.

The rubber pads or mats A are of generally oval outline, as shown most clearly in Figure 2, to fit within the corresponding casing 16 or IT. Each pad A comprises a relatively thick, platelike main body portion 22, provided with corrugations or ribs 23, 24, and 25 projecting from one side thereof. The opposite side of each pad or mat is substantially flat. Each mat A also has a heavy peripheral flange 26 projecting therefrom in the same direction as the ribs. The peripheral flange 25 flares outwardly and projects a considerably greater distance from the body of the mat than the ribs 23, 24, and 25. .Each pad is thus in the form of a pan-shaped member.

The spacing plates B-B, which are alternated with the mats AA, are also of generally oval outline, but of smaller size than the mats. Each mat A has one of the spacer plates B secured to the flat side thereof, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the same being vulcanized to said plate.

In the assembled condition of each cushioning unit, the pads or mats AA are nested, with the attached spacing plate B of each mat bearing on the ribs 23, 24, and 25 of the adjacent mat, and the flange 26 of the mat last named telescoped over the flange of the first named mat.

The spacing plates CC at the inner ends of the cushioning units are identical with the plates B-B, but much thicker and hear at opposite sides on the corresponding intermediate follower l8 or I9 and the ribs 23, 2d, and 25 of the mat A at the inner end of the corresponding cushioning unit. These thicker plates C-C are preferably welded to the intermediate followers, as shown, and serve to space the flanges Efif$ of the inner end mats A-A of the two cushioning units from the intermediate followers, thus providing sufficient clearance for compression of the pads or mats without engagement of these flanges with said intermediate followers.

As shown in Figure l, the flat sides of the mats AA at the outer ends of the front and rear cushioning units, do not have spacer plates BB secured thereto, but bear directly on the inner sides of the walls which close the ends of the casing. though these plates have been dispensed with in the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, it is evident that the outer end mats may be designed in a manner similar to the remaining mats, that is, provided with spacer plates B secured to the flat sides thereof, bearing on the end walls of the casings.

The operation of the improved cushioning unit illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, is as follows: Upon movement of either intermediate follower H3 or [9 inwardly of the corresponding casing H or ll, the cushioning unit is compressed against the end wall of the casing. A the cushioning unit is thus being compressed, the mats A are compressed or flattened out between the metal plates B, the ribs 23, 24, and being flattened by the plates B to absorb the shocks. In flattening out of the mats, the material of the ribs thereof is displaced or flows into the spaces between said ribs.

When the actuating force is reduced, after compression of the cushioning unit, the tendency of the distorted rubber mats to return to their normal shape causes the cushioning unit to expand, thereby returning the parts to the normal full release position shown in Figure 1.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, the improved cushioning unit is similar to the unit hereinbefore described, with the exception that the spacing plates, which are indicated by D and correspond to the plates B, are not vulcanized to the rubber mats, which are indicated by E and correspond to the mats A, and that the peripheral flanges of the mats E project from the flat sides of the mats, instead of from the ribbed sides thereof as is the case with the mats A.

As illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, my improved cushioning unit comprises a series of mats E and a series of spacing plates D alternated with the mats. As illustrated in Figure 4, this cushioning unit is arranged within a casing 21, which corresponds to the casing 16 hereinbefore described, and bears at its rear end on a follower plate 28 which corresponds to the intermediate follower l8. A spacing plate 29, similar to the plate D hereinbefore described, is welded to the inner side of the follower plate 28 and bears on the mat E at the rear end of the cushioning unit.

Each mat E has corrugations or ribs 30, 3!, and 32 on one side thereof, corresponding to the ribs 23, 24, and 25 of the mats A and presents a flat surface on its other side. As hereinbefore stated, the spacing plates D are alternated with the mats E. Each spacing plate bears at one side on the flat side of the mat which is located at that side of the plate, and bears at its other side on the ribs of the mat which is at the last named side of said plate. Each mat E also has a heavy peripheral flange 33, which projects from the flat side thereof. The flange 33 flares outwardly and projects a sumcient distance from the flat side of the mat to overhang the adjacent plate D and telescope with the flange of the adjacent mat E, as shown in Figure 4. As will be evident, the spacing plates D are seated within the panshaped mats E and are thus held in place by the overhanging flanges 33 of the latter, thus dispensing with securing the plates to the mats.

' I claim:

1. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats; of a series of flat spacing plates alternated with said mats, each mat having a laterally projecting flange at its outer end extending over and beyond the edge of the adjacent spacing plate.

2. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats; of a series of fiat spacing plates alternated with said mats, each mat having a laterally projecting, peripheral flange extending over and beyond the edge of the adjacent spacing plate.

3. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats; of a series of flat spacing plates alternated with said mats, each mat having a laterally projecting, flaring, peripheral flange extending over and beyond the edge of the adjacent spacing plate and telescoped over the flange of the adjacent mat.

4. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats, each mat being of pan-shaped form with a flaring, laterally projecting, peripheralflange on one side thereof; or a series of spacing plates alternated with said mats, each mat having one of said plates seated therein, said plate bearing on the fiat side of the adjacent mat.

5. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats, each mat being of pan-shaped form with a laterally projecting, flaring, peripheral flange on one side thereof, the other side of said mat being flat, the flanges of said mats being nested; of a series of flat spacing plates alternated with said mats, each mat having one of said plates seated therein, said plate bearing on the flat side of the next adjacent mat.

6. In a cushionin unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats, each mat being flat on one side and having a laterally projecting, flaring, peripheral flange on the other side thereof, each of said mats having projecting ribs on said last named side; of a series of metal spacing plates alternated with said mats, each of said mats being vulcanized to the spacin plate at the flat side thereof and having the ribs on the other side thereof bearing on the plate at said last named side.

'7. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats, each mat being flat on one side and having a flaring, peripheral flange projecting laterally from said flat side, the other side of said mat having projectin ribs thereon; of a series'of metal spacing plates alternated with said mats, the plate at one side of each mat bearing on the ribs thereof and the plate at the other side of said mat bearing on the flat side of the same.

8. In a cushioning unit for a shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a series of rubber mats, each mat being flat on one side and having a laterally projecting, flaring, peripheral flange on the other side thereof, each mat having projecting ribs on said last named side; of a series of metal spacing plates alternated with said mats, each of said mats being vulcanized to the plate at the flat side thereof and having the ribs on the other side said mats, the plate at one side of each mat bearing on the flat side thereof at one side, and bearing on the ribs of the next adjacent mat at the other side thereof, the flanges of said mats being telscopically nested and overhanging the plates which are at the fiat sides thereof.

GEORGE E. DATI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Johnson Jan. 16, 1940 Number 

